Ingot flipper tongs



3, 1965 F. J. SINES 3,198,570

INGOT FLIPPER TONGS Filed April 16, 1963 Fix INVENTOR.

FRANCIS J. 57/0/55 Attorney United States Patent 3,198,570 INGOT FLIPPER TONGS Francis J. Sines, Austintown Township, Mahoning County, Ghio, assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Apr. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 273,330 3 Claims. (CI. 2194-113) The present invention relates generally to materialhandling equipment and, more particularly, to tongs for handling metal ingots.

In the manufacture of steel, after the molten metal is teemed into ingots, the ingots are removed from their molds and placed in soaking pits to prepare them for subsequent rolling in a blooming mill. Up until recently it was usual practice to teem the ingots in big-end-down molds, and after removal from the molds the ingots were placed in the soaking pits in upright position with their big ends resting on the bottoms of the soaking pits. When an ingot was to be rolled, it was withdrawn from the soaking pit by means of tongs suspended from an overhead crane and deposited in an ingot buggy with its big end directed downwardly in the buggy. The buggy, which is self-propelled, then delivered the ingot onto the entry conveyor table of the blooming mill for entry into the first pass of the blooming mill, small end first.

In recent years, the use of big-end-down ingot molds has decreased while the use of big-end-up molds has increased. An increasing number of soaking pit and blooming mill installations originally designed for processing big-end-down ingots are presently processing bigend-up ingots. This has created an ingot-manipulation problem since the big-end-up ingot could not be withdrawn from the soaking pit and placed in the ingot buggy for delivery to the entry table of the blooming mill in the same manner as the big-end-down ingot. It was necessary to somehow turn the big-end-up ingot after it was withdrawn from the soaking pit so that its small end would be directed for entry into the first pass of the blooming mill. In some instances this was achieved by installing a turn-around table before the entry table of the blooming mill for receiving the ingot and turning it around so that it would be delivered to the entry table small end first. However, this was undesirable since vit entailed the building, installation and maintenance of expensive equipment which increased production costs. In the absence of a turn-around table, it was necessary to lay the ingot on its side after it was withdrawn from the soaking pit and then pick it up again by its small end so that it could be lowered into the ingot buggy with its big end down. This procedure was also undesirable because it was a dangerous, time-consuming and costly operation.

It is, accordingly, the principal object of my invention to eliminate the disadvantages described above by providing an ingot-flipping apparatus which can be inexpensively built in combination with existing ingot tongs and which can function to flip a big-end-up ingot to big end down position while the ingot is suspended after withdrawal from the soaking pit.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an improved ingot-handling tongs which can be used selectively to carry an ingot in conventional manner or to carry and flip an ingot.

It is a more specialized object of my invention to provide an improved ingot-handling tongs of novel construction wherein flipper bars are pivotally mounted on the insides of the opposed legs of the tongs for engaging the sides of an ingot, and latch means are mounted on the legs of the tongs for detachably engaging the flipper bars to restrain them from pivoting movement until it is desired to flip an ingot carried by the apparatus.

3,198,570 Patented Aug. 3, 1965 It is a further object of my invention to provide appara-tus as set forth above wherein the flipper bars are counterweighted and so pivoted that they will automatically return to ingot-engaging position after being disengaged from a flipped ingot and being released from the latching means.

As a corollary to the above, it is a further object of my invention to provide remotely-controlled power means for releasing the latching means of the apparatus from engagement with .the flipper bars.

These and other objects will become more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view;

FIGURE 3 is a partial elevational view taken along the line III-III of FIGURE 1; and 7 FIGURE 4 is a partial elevational view looking at the right side of FIGURE 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, reference numeral 2. design-ates generally an ingot-handling tongs constructed in accordance with the invention. The tongs 2 is adapted to be suspended vertically from a crane (not shown) and includes a center shaft 4, a cross head 6 slidable along said shaft, anda pair of opposed spaced legs 8, each pivoted intermediate its ends to shaft 4 as at 10. A roller 12 is journaled in the upper end of each leg 8 for movement along converging slots or ways 14 in the cross head 6. Upward movement of the cross head 6 along the shaft'4 causes the legs 8 to pivot around the connection points 10 to closed or gripping position as shown by solid lines in FIGURE 1. Lowering of the cross head 6 along the center shaft 4 causes the legs 8 to pivot to open position as shown by broken lines in FIGURE 1.

A flipper bar 16 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the inner side of each of the legs 8 by means of horizontally disposed pivot pins 18. Each of the flipper bars 16 is preferably slightly bowed, as best shown in FIGURE 1, and is provided with a laterally projecting tooth 20 adjacent each end thereof for engaging the side of an ingot M. The bottom end portion of each flipper bar 16 is counterweighted as at 22 for a purpose which will become apparent.

A lug 24 having sloping sides projects from the upper end of each flipper bar 16 when the bar is in normal ingotengaging position and a similar lug 26 projects from the lower end of each of the bars for cooperation with a latching mechanism, designated generally by reference numeral 28, one of which is mounted on each of the legs 8.

Each of the latching mechanisms 28 includes a catch 30 pivotally mounted by one end on a pin 32 which projects from one end of a lever 34 which in turn is pivoted intermediate its ends to one ofthe legs 8 by means of a pin .36. The opposite end 37 of the lever 34 is pivotally connected to the projecting end of a piston rod 38 of a double-acting fluid-pressure cylinder 40, one of which is mounted vertically on each of the legs 8 above the respective latching mechanisms 28. The latching mechanisms function to detachably engage either lug 24 or 26 of the flipper bars to restrain the bars from pivotal or swinging movement and maintain them in position substantially parallel with the legs 8 except when the ingot is being flipped or the flipper bars are being returned to normal position, as will be explained more fully hereinafter.

When it is desired to release the flipper bars from engagement with the catches 30, the cylinders 40 are actuated to project piston rods 38. Projection of piston rods 38 causes the ends 37 of levers 34 to pivot down wardly about pivot pin 36 and the catches 30 to pivot hoisting mechanism (not shown).

parallel with the legs 8 when disengaged from an ingot and released from restraint by the latching mechanisms 28. In normal position, the catches 30 are in engagement with the end lugs 24 of the flipper bars 16.

Catches, 30 are pivotally mounted on the levers 34 by means of pins 32 to permit the catches to rotate upwardly about their respective pins 32 during the swinging of the flipped ingot and flipper bars after the piston rods 38 have been retracted to actuate the mechanisms 28 into latching position. This arrangement prevents damage to the latching mechanisms by the pendulum force of the swinging flipper bars and ingot after the ingot has been flipped. The sloping faces 44 of the catches 30 and the mating sloping faces 46 of'lug 26 allow the ingot to swing, after being flipped, by the sloping faces of lugs 26 pushing catches 30 up and out of the way. When the swinging of the flipper bars and ingot subsides to an amount where the lateral force of the swinging flipper bars will not lift the catches 30, the catches 30 engage the lugs 26 and restrain the flipper bars and ingot from further swinging. When the flipper bars have been disengaged from the ingot and released from restraint by the latching mechanisms 28, the sloping faces 46 of lugs 24 will cooperate with the sloping faces 44 of catches 30 to push the catches up and out of the way until swinging of the flipper bars has subsided to an amount which Will permit engagement of the lugs 24 by catches 30 after the piston rods 38 have been retracted.

In operation, the tongs 2 is lowered into the soaking pit (not shown) and onto the ingot M by an overhead Then the cross head 6 is lifted upwardly along the center shaft 4 by hoisting mechanism (not shown) to cause the legs 8 and flipper bars 16 carried thereby to close on the ingot with the pivot points of the flipper bars located below the center of gravity of the ingot M, as shown in FIGURE 1. When the legs 8 and flipper bars 16 close on the ingot, the

teeth 20 engage the sides of the ingot so that it is firmly supported.

With the ingot thus engaged, the apparatus is raised to lift the ingot from the soaking pit with its big end up.

The flipper bars 16, and thus the ingot, are restrained from pivotal movement by virtue of the catches being in engagement with the lugs24. After the ingot has been raised clear of the soaking pit, the hydraulic cylinders are actuated to project piston rods 38 to trip the latching mechanisms 28 and release the flipper bars 16 from restraint. This will cause the ingot to flip or swing over to a big end down position. Cylinders 40 are then again actuated, this time to retract piston rods 38 and cause lugs 26 to be engaged by catches 30. The ingot is then lowered into the ingot buggy (not shown) with its big end down. After the ingot has been lowered into the buggy, the cross head 6 is lowered along center shaft 4 to open the tongs 2. Catches 30' are then again released and the counterweight 22 on the flipper bars cause the bars to swing back to the position shown in FIGURE 1 and the latch mechanisms are again actuated to engage lugs 24 in the catches 30 so that the apparatus is ready for another ingot pick-up.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

. I claim: V

1. In an apparatus for flipping an elongated mass including opposed spaced pivoted legs the combination therewith of a flipper bar pivotally mounted intermediate its length on the inner side of each of said legs, a lug projecting axially from each end of each of saidv bars, a

self-engaging latch projecting from the inner side of each of said legs for detachably engaging a lug of each of said bars to maintain the bars in position substantially parallel with said legs, each of said latches including a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the leg from which the latchv projects, a catch pivotally mounted by one end on one end of each of said levers and projecting therefrom into the paths of movement of said lugs on said bars, each of said catches being adapted to be pivoted out of the way of said .bars when struck by the lugs on the ends of the bars when the bars are swinging at relatively high momentum and to engage, said lugs to halt movement of said bars when the latter are swinging at relatively low momentum, and remotely operable means connected withthe end of each of said levers remote from the catch thereon for pivoting said levers to remove said catches from engagement with said lugs.

2. The combination as defined by claim 1 in which each of said catches is cup-shape in form and each of said lugs is formed with sloping outer faces whereby the catches are pivoted out of the paths of said bars when the latter are swinging at relatively high momentum and said lugs are engageable by said catches when the bars are swinging at relatively 'low momentum.

3. The combination as defined by claim 1 in which said remotely operable releasing means is a fluid-pressure cylinder-and-piston mounted. on each of said legs and connected with the lever of the latch thereon.

. References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/ 17 French 214-61 2,497,600 2/50 Grigsby 294-116 1 2,757,038 7/56 Drill 294-106 FOREIGN PATENTS 410,395 3/25 Germany.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Acting Primary Examiner.

ANDRES HJNIELSEN, SAMUEL F. COLEMAN,

Examiners. 

1. IN AN APPARATUS FOR FLIPPING AN ELONGATED MASS INCLUDING OPPOSED SPACED PIVOTED LEGS THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF A FLIPPER BAR PIVOTALLY MOUNTED INTERMEDIATE ITS LENGTH ON THE INNER SIDE OF EACH OF SAID LEGS, A LUG PROJECTING AXIALLY FROM EACH END OF EACH OF SAID BARS, A SELF-ENGAGING LATCH PROJECTING FROM THE INNER SIDE OF EACH OF SAID LEGS FOR DETACHABLY ENGAGING A LUG OF EACH OF SAID BARS TO MAINTAIN THE BARS IN POSITIOIN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL WITH SAID LEGS, EACH OF SAID LATCHES INCLUDING A LEVER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS ON THE LEG FROM WHICH THE LATCH PROJECTS, A CATCH PIVOTALLY MOUNTED BY ONE END ONE END OF EACH OF SAID LEVERS AND PROJECTING THEREFROM INTO THE PATHS OF MOVEMENT OF SAID LUGS ON SAID BARS, EACH OF SAID CATCHES BEING ADAPTED TO BE PIVOTED OUT OF THE WAY OF SAID BARS WHEN STRUCK BY THE LUGS ON THE ENDS OF THE BARS WHEN THE BARS ARE SWINGING AT RELATIVELY HIGH MOMENTUM AND TO ENGAGE SAID LUGS TO HALT MOVEMENT OF SAID BARS WHEN THE LATTER ARE SWINGING AT RELATIVELY LOW MOMENTUM, AND REMOTELY OPERALE MEANS CONNECTED WITH THE END OF EACH OF SAID LEVERS REMOTE FROM THE CATCH THEREON FOR PIVOTING SAID LEVERS TO REMOVE SAID CATCHES FROM ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LUGS. 